Cloaked
by the queen of slurking
Summary: Threeshot about the first time putting on the black hoodie. Spoilers if you don't know who A is, though I'm assuming people do know.
1. Chapter 1

**Cloaked**

_Mona_

I knew I couldn't run around and spy wearing heels and my usual clothes – it would give me away immediately, especially if Hanna saw me.

I wanted to be anonymous, either male or female. I wanted to feel powerful and maybe even a little menacing.

So one Saturday, shopping, I slipped away and bought a black hoodie. It was two sizes too big for me, and the salesgirl looked at me funny. I made an excuse about a gift for my brother and she shrugged, making the sale with indifference. I couldn't bring myself to care what she thought; I was too keyed up. At home that afternoon, I unpacked my purchases and put them away, kicking the hoodie under my bed for last.

My body thrummed with quiet excitement about what I was going to be starting. I went downstairs and played the dutiful daughter, kissing my dad's cheek and modelling a new skirt for my mom.

We had dinner in much the same way as always. Murmured compliments on how good the chicken was and the soft clink of cutlery on the plate.

As I forked another bit of salad, it occurred to me I'd have to hide my hands. I couldn't very well keep painting my nails and then having to remove the polish. I thought about what gloves to get and felt a pang of sympathy for my parents. They sat there, eating peacefully and they had no idea what I was planning. True, even _I _didn't know precisely what I was planning – so much of it couldn't be planned –but they didn't know their daughter was intending to stalk four of her classmates and break laws.

The reminder of the anonymous phone that was buried in one of my boots filled me with glee and I forced it down, reminding myself to be patient. I wouldn't do anything until I had the gloves.

A few days later I got the perfect gloves: bulky and heavy. The first time I tried them on, they annoyed me a bit. They were warm and solid, and they made my hands look completely anonymous. My hands could belong to anyone, with those gloves.

I went over the information I'd already begun to gather and memorized bits and pieces. My parents came in to say goodnight and I waited for the thud of wood on wood telling me that they were in for the night.

_Finally._

Turning away from the mirror, I changed into a pair of plain black trousers I already had and pulled on the hoodie, then the gloves. I wanted to get the full effect. Now facing the mirror, I pulled up my hood and pinned my hair underneath it. It took a bit of trial and error to keep my hair back without pulling it too tight, but it worked.

A parody, I thought, of a girl getting dressed up nicely to go somewhere. It worked for me.

I smiled at my reflection, satisfied. The hoodie masked my body, so loose that even I couldn't tell what was underneath.

I tipped the boot with my cell phone – A's cellphone, I reminded myself – upside down and checked the battery. It was at almost full charge and I praised myself for my foresight.

Typing with gloved fingers was difficult, as the gloves made my hands much bulkier. I would need to practice. After several attempts I had four contacts listed, and plans forming.

Noticing the time, I changed and went to bed. That night, I couldn't sleep for the energy and adrenaline. The hoodie, the gloves, the phone meant it was all real. Before, it had all been plans and thoughts, what I might do or what I declared I would do.

Now though, it was real. I had the supplies and the intelligence needed.

I _was_ going to do this.


	2. Chapter 2

_Toby_

I suppose in a way I was a perfect candidate for becoming a stalker.

Mona had approached me when I wasn't in Rosewood, and I figured she'd waited especially for such an opportunity. It raised less suspicion this way, and I was thankful for that small concession. It gave me time before I had to face Spencer. I didn't want to see her yet, figuring she could easily work it out.

If I was A though, I could help her somehow – not Mona. Mona's plans were based on revenge and anger because Alison and the other girls had drawn her best friend away from her. In a way, I kind of understood it: Mona was scared to lose the bond she had with Hanna.

Mona conceded to a few things the first time we met in Bucks' County: she didn't know specifically who she was working for. All she knew was that she had someone else to answer to, and I imagined that the someone had even grander plans, plans that made angry revenge look petty in comparison.

Naturally, Mona threatened me: if I didn't join, I could be made to disappear. Even Mona, as A, didn't know every last detail surrounding Alison's disappearance. I had to admit defeat: I might be able to get some information useful to Spencer, and people did morally questionable things every day, in the name of helping someone else.

Mona seemed both gleeful and vaguely concerned when I agreed to join her. Gleeful, because I was now her pawn to command as she pleased, but concerned because I could still prove to be dead weight and end up being something she had to deal with. She made sure to wield her superior A ranking over me, taking the time to get in various jibes.

Even as she did, I had some kind of understanding of her. We both had parents who didn't feature in our lives much – I guessed her parents must be pretty oblivious to not have any idea what their daughter was doing – and I was basically emancipated from my family.

The sky was dark as she handed me the heavy black hoodie and gloves, correctly estimated to fit my hands.

I remained silent as I shook them out, half-heartedly examining them before stuffing them into a bag – _a mockery of a girl giving a boyfriend a nice shirt _– and waited for her to leave. Once gone, I stared at myself in the dingy mirror. I half expected my features to illustrate this new role I'd taken up, maybe a darkening of my eyes or a different twist to my mouth.

There was nothing but my face, familiar as ever. It was the same reflection I'd looked into for years.

Now I was unsure. I turned away from my reflection, not quite recognizing myself.

Sure, I'd had a grudge against Alison, but who hadn't? Even her closest friends had had grudges of a sort: Hanna had envied her looks, Aria her personality – though I wasn't quite sure why – Emily had loved her, and Spencer had been overshadowed by her. That grudge I had against her had transferred over to her friends, and I tried to remember it.

I'd hated her for making life look so easy, when some of us had to deal with new step-siblings and grieve deceased parents. She'd glided through life on her name, and if that didn't work, she manipulated people until she got what she wanted. I'd hated that, righteously thinking over the wrongness of it.

_No more wrong than what you're about to do,_ my subconscious reminded me.

I managed to summon up the anger necessary, remembering that I was probably going to have to attack Spencer at some point. No doubt it would be an A-test, to see if I truly was loyal. Much as I didn't want to attack her, I would have to do something. Still, I'd go easy on her.

The plastic bag crinkled as I kicked it across the room, making a dull thud as it hit the wall.

Inside was a slim journal, full of neat handwriting and some photos, detailing what Mona had done and to whom, and the various incidents she'd recorded for future reference. I choked out a laugh – I hadn't noticed Mona putting it in the bag. Then again, I was going to have to get used to stealth and sleight-of-hand movements if I was to not give myself away.

This really wasn't some little scheme, that was for sure.

I pulled on the hoodie and gloves.

It struck me, how much I could've passed for anyone in that instance. If Mona and I both had our hoods up and gloves on, there really was no telling who we were. Now, I definitely didn't recognize myself.

I'd not had much time to consider Mona's offer, and from what little I already knew about A, I probably wouldn't have been given much leniency. A was ruthless and if I'd refused, nothing good would've come of it.

I wondered how Mona had become A.

I still couldn't quite believe I was doing this, but when I looked in the mirror, I had all the proof I needed. The black clothes that masked everything about me confirmed it.

I couldn't back out now.


	3. Chapter 3

_Spencer_

I reached for the bag that Mona had smuggled in. It held a mobile phone, already set up to be as anonymous as possible. Along with that, there was the now-infamous black hoodie and a pair of black gloves. I wondered briefly about the operating system the A-team used – did they buy them in bulk for recruiting new members?

Just looking at them made my throat tighten with dread and I had to resist the urge to throw the whole bag out of the window, bury the items where they'd eventually become useless and decay over time.

But no, it was too risky. There might still be prints on the bag and things inside. Even if there weren't, surely security cameras could prove useful. It was like some sort of welcome pack, the sort one might get when they joined up to a club or sports team. My words rang in my head, telling Mona I was in, and I choked back a laugh at the mental image of several figures in black hoodies playing hockey.

There was a gentle knock at the door and I hid the A gear under the bed, fixing a coherent expression on my face and letting the nurse hand me the medicine. I let the pills slip into my hand and smiled at the nurse, who smiled back before leaving.

As I'd told the girls in the therapy circle the other day, it'd been nice not being Spencer Hastings for a while. Now, I thought about the irony: I'd gone from Spencer to Jane Doe, not wanting to give out a name or personal details. From Jane Doe, to an A.

Oh God.

Still, what did I have to lose? Mona seemed to be adapting her new personality, based on my own. It still got on my nerves when I remembered her polished, poised face, opposite me at the Academic Decathlon. Her, answering the questions as easily as I did. Even when I corrected her, she didn't flicker. And then, she began answering and correcting my own questions.

How in hell was I supposed to work alongside her?

_You're a Hastings, _I reminded myself. _Suck it up and do the work you've said you'll do. Besides, she might have information on who that girl in the red coat is._

Yes, I would do that. I would get through the tasks, no matter how bad, and, when alone, hunt for operation. Surely there was some way to get necessary information: credit card details, tracking addresses. It wasn't much different to the sort of things I'd been doing already – just that this was staying secret from the others.

My first task was to kidnap Malcolm from the after-school classes. I'd also received a flyer for the carnival – I'd leave it for Aria to find. Thinking about the process calmed me: I hated myself for abducting a seven-year-old, and Aria's pseudo-stepson at that. God only knew what else I'd have to do.

Mona had told me about the thrill of putting on the black hoodie and gloves and realizing she could be anyone. I didn't see how she could say it, didn't see how she could look herself in the mirror as A. _Did_ she? Maybe she was just saying it to test me. I'd been watching her expression, but it seemed that she was a much better actor than I'd given her credit for.

It didn't matter how thrilling or riveting or fascinating it might be to look at yourself and see a menacing stalker. There were no mirrors in my bare room, and I couldn't risk finding a mirror just to see.

I yanked the heavy hoodie on, pulling back the sleeves and then dragging gloves on, adjusting them as needed. I was grateful for the lack of mirror: I couldn't see what I'd become. A moment of panic later – _I don't want to do this, I _can't_ do this _– I was ready to go, cellphone in hand and unwillingly grateful that Mona had charged it.

Keeping my head down, I headed for the exit as Mona taught me, and tried not to dwell on what else I might have to do.


End file.
